First Night
by writeallnight
Summary: Pre "Neighborhood Watch" fic. Kensi and Deeks are moving in and ready to play the part of the happy couple. But are they really prepared for the challenges of their pretend marriage? Chaos, calamity, and adorableness ensue as they navigate their first day together.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: I know what you're thinking. writeallnight, haven't you written about "Neighborhood Watch" before? Isn't one fic about the most epic episode of Densi goodness enough? The answer is no. No it is not. I just couldn't help myself! That episode is ECO and Dani Ruah gold. I think we are all rooting for another episode in that vein this season right? DO YOU HEAR ME WRITERS?! Anyway, enjoy yet another fic based on the classic tale of our favorite ship's attempt at married life.

* * *

"How many shoes do you own?"

"A woman needs her shoes Deeks."

"I mean, seriously, we're going to be here for what, a week? Tops? And yet, you brought four pairs of stilettos."

"It has to be convincing Deeks. People need to believe we're living here," Kensi sighed and ripped open another box.

"Who are we going to be inviting into our bedroom?" Deeks asked. He paused and looked at her. "Are we planning on inviting someone else into our bedroom?"

"Oh my god, you are disgusting!" Kensi cried. "Forget it. I'm not doing this."

"Ha! Pay up G!" Sam said from where he and Callen leaned in the doorway, both dressed in mover's uniforms.

Callen reached for his wallet. "You called it. Less than an hour in the house and Kensi's already calling for a divorce."

"I am not!" she said grumpily.

"It's just a lover's spat," Sam teased. "The first of many."

"I _will_ kill you," Kensi said through gritted teeth. "And I will not feel bad about it."

"You know for posing as movers you don't seem to be doing a lot of moving," Deeks grunted as he lifted another box onto the bed.

"It's more fun to watch you do it," Sam said with a smirk.

"Where's the box with the satellite uplink equipment?" Kensi asked.

"I don't know," Deeks replied from deep inside the master closet.

Kensi put her hands on her hips. "What do you mean you don't know? I asked you very specifically to put that box in the car."

"You did not," Deeks stuck his head out.

"Yes, I did," Kensi said tersely.

"No, you said that the satellite uplink equipment was in the box and then you went to find the case of weapons."

"Which meant you should have put it in the car. Think about it Deeks. How are we going to get a secure link to the network without the satellite equipment?"

"I know what the equipment is for. I'm just saying it wasn't my job to bring it."

"I think it's time for us to go," Callen observed.

"Aw come on G. This is better than the Bachelor," Sam teased.

"Just try not to kill each other okay?" Callen asked.

"No promises," Kensi ground out.

"Don't worry. Me and the wifey here will be just fine," Deeks put his arm around Kensi's waist and she promptly elbowed him in the ribs, causing him to wince. "See? We're great."

Sam rolled his eyes. "Good luck lovebirds. We'll see you in the morning."

Callen and Sam departed, leaving Deeks and Kensi alone in the master suite.

"So…" Kensi said slowly.

"So…" Deeks echoed, his eyes traveling around the room. "This is nice."

"Yep," Kensi shifted her weight uncomfortably.

There was a long paused. "I'm going for a run," Kensi announced.

"I'll start dinner," Deeks said at nearly the same time.

Kensi wrinkled her forehead. "It's 11:30 am."

"I-"

Before Deeks could form a sentence the doorbell rang. "Who is that?" Kensi asked, automatically reaching for her weapon.

"Whoa, calm down Annie Oakley," Deeks pushed her hand down. "It's probably just the neighbors. You know, people who live next door?"

The bell rang again. "We just got here. Why are they coming over?" Kensi asked.

"They're being neighborly," Deeks explained, slowly, as if to a child. "Come on Melissa. Let's go meet the block."

They walked downstairs and Kensi opened the door, smiling brightly at the woman on the other side.

"Hi there neighbors!" the blonde greeted them cheerfully, a beribboned basket in her hand. "I'm Paulina. I just wanted to say welcome! Welcome to our little neighborhood!"

"Oh wow, thank you," Kensi accepted the basket. "Thank you so much. I'm Melissa and this is my husband Justin."

"That's me. Us, we," Deeks chimed in. "Her and me."

Kensi turned a wide-eyed glare on him and he closed his mouth.

"Newlyweds?" Paulina asked.

"Six months," Kensi wiggled her left hand as Deeks slipped an arm around her waist.

"I can always tell. You two have that newlywed glow going on," she pointed a finger between them. "So how did you come to be in the Colonel's place?"

"He's my uncle," Deeks told her. "He got called out of town unexpectedly and asked if we'd come stay for a couple months."

"Oh, so you're in town for a while then?" Paulina asked. "That's…wonderful."

Her eyes traveled up and down Deeks' body. Kensi followed their new neighbor's gaze and her eyes hardened slightly.

"Yes, it's sort of a second honeymoon for us," Kensi pulled Deeks a little more sharply to her side.

"Ow!" he grunted and then let out a second, "Ow!" as she ground her foot into his.

"Well," Paulina seems to snap out of her trance, "you just have to come to dinner. My Brett makes a mean mojito."

"Oh yeah, that would be great," Kensi said, her cheery demeanor was somewhat faded.

"Tomorrow! Tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow!" Paulina clasped her hands together.

"Oh well…" Kensi hesitated.

"We'd love too," Deeks answered for them both.

"Perfect! 7:00 okay? See you then! Toodles!"

Kensi closed the door slowly. "She just said 'toodles.' What kind of place is this?"

"I'd like to back up to the part where we're having our second honeymoon. Because if I remember correctly honeymoons usually mean lots of s-"

He was cut off as Kensi grabbed his thumb and bent it backward. "You had better not be about to say sex," she growled. "Because if you are about to say sex I will rip your arm off your body and beat you senseless."

"Sangria," Deeks gasped. "Lots of sangria."

Kensi pushed him away. "That's what I thought. I'm going for a run. When I get back you…you just…," Kensi sputtered, unable to come up with words strong enough.

Instead she spun on her heel and stalked up the stairs to change.

"Wow, very threatening wifey!" Deeks called after her. "Quite the wordsmith you are!"

"Shut up!"

* * *

A/N: Thanks for the read! Leave your love in the reviews!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: PEOPLE. If you have not watched THE Densi deleted scene on the Seasong 6 DVD's, drop everything and do so IMMEDIATELY. This is a game changer folks. I am still giddy and it's been like two hours.

Anyway, all of that is completely unrelated to this fic but still very, very important. Enjoy Chapter 2!

* * *

Kensi started out at a jog, her eyes darting around the neighborhood as she went. She did her best to take note of all the houses and anything else she thought might be significant for their investigation.

Nothing stuck out to her as particularly pertinent on this sunny morning. The neighborhood looked like your typical, suburban utopia.

The sun beat hot on her skin. It had been a mistake to run at this time of day, but she'd needed to get out of the house. Away from Deeks. Good night, they'd been living together two hours and he was already driving her up a wall. The things he said, the things he did, the way he looked at her, it was…

Kensi shook her head. He just got under her skin in a way that no one else could.

"Hello there!"

Kensi was startled out of her thoughts and stumbled, barely managing to correct and keep herself from falling to the pavement.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" The man who had provided the distraction took a step toward her as she caught her bearings.

"No problem," Kensi put on her new, cheesy neighborhood demeanor. "Just lost in my own thoughts. I'm Melissa. My husband Justin and I are watching the Colonel's place while he's out of town."

"Oh how wonderful. We love the Colonel!" he told her. "I'm Rob. My partner Bob and I own a bakery. Been here five years. You are going to love it."

"Oh, I'm sure we will. Five years huh? You must know everything that goes on around here."

"Oh just about. You see that house right there? That's Margie's place. Prize winning rose bushes."

He pointed to another house. "That's the Feltons'. Watch out for their two boys. They are full of fire!" he laughed and then paused. "But no, actually though, they set a bush on fire last week. Fire department had to come and everything."

Rob launched into a description so detailed about every house on the block it made Kensi's head spin.

"Wow okay," she finally interrupted. "You should be a reporter. Oh my phone!" she pulled it from her armband and pretended to read a text. "It's my husband. Needs me home. Gotta go, see you soon!"

"Bye Melissa! Nice to meet you!" Rob called as she took off.

She jogged away and let out a sigh of relief. Why was everyone here so…friendly? It was weird. Disturbing. Weird and disturbing.

Kensi rounded the curve and the house came into view. She took a breath, mentally preparing herself to go inside.

"SUPER SOAKERS!"

Out of nowhere Kensi was hit with a wall of water. She yelled as it soaked through her shirt, drenched her hair. "What the?!" She wiped water from her eyes and spotted two young boys, neon water guns aimed in her direction. "Hey! What the heck is wrong with you two?"

"SUPER SOAKERS!"

Another blast of water came at her and she let out a second yelp. "All right, that's it!" she stalked toward them.

"Boys!" a somewhat exhausted looking woman yelled from the front porch. "What have I told you about soaking the neighbors? Say you're sorry."

"Sorry," the said in unison, but their eyes lit with mischief.

Kensi glared at them and then lifted her eyes to the front porch, forcing a smile. "It's okay! Kids! Haha!" The laugh seemed fake, but she thought the rest sounded reasonably normal.

She looked back down at the boys, her smile still plastered on. "If I see you two again you'll regret it," she hissed.

The boys giggled and ran off as Kensi turned and slogged back toward home. She walked through the front door, slamming it behind her in frustration. God, she hated it here.

"Hey there! Whoa!" Deeks stopped short at the sight of her. "What happened to you?"

"Children," Kensi growled. "I hate children."

"You do not," Deeks said.

"Yes. I do," Kensi spat. "They are squirmy, and dirty, and, and, and loud! And rude and selfish and—"

"Okay, okay," Deeks cut her off. "I get it. Kids, bad. Why don't we uh, get you cleaned up and then you'll feel better."

He reached for her arm but she pulled away from him. "I can take care of myself."

She turned to walk away but he called after her.

"Hey! What is wrong with you? I'm trying to help you here!"

"Well don't!" she yelled back. "You're not my husband Deeks. I don't need you."

Deeks looked stunned. "That's what this is about? You don't want to be married to me? You signed on for this Kensi. No one forced you into it."

Kensi took a breath, saw the hurt in his eyes. In her frustration she'd gone too far. "I'm sorry."

Deeks ran a hand through his hair. "It's okay. I'm just trying to help."

"I know. I'm just…I'm not good at this. At being married. At this neighborhood thing. It's not me Deeks. These people, this place, they're driving me crazy."

"Hey, I don't know what I'm doing either," he took a step closer to her. "We just have to take it one step at a time. We can do it together."

She was shivering in the air conditioning, a puddle forming on the rug at her feet. "Okay…so I guess maybe this was our first fight huh?" she asked.

"I guess so," Deeks agreed. "You know traditionally after a fight there's make-up se…"

Kensi clapped a hand over his mouth, trying to hide her smile. "Don't ruin the moment by saying what you're about to say."

"I'm kidding," he told her. "You should go take a shower."

"What, you don't think this is a good look for me?"

"You always look good," he told her, his eyes taking on the look that he got when he was being serious. "I mean, that's what husbands are supposed to say right?"

Kensi felt her cheeks heat at the compliment. "Right," she said quickly.

The doorbell rang and they both found themselves relieved. "I'll get it," Deeks told her. "You go ahead and get dried off."

"Thanks," she told him.

Kensi headed up the stairs as Deeks opened the door. An elderly woman stood on the front porch.

"Well hello there young lady," he said. "What can I do for you?"

"Oh, aren't you a sweetie?" she told him with a smile. "I'm Margie. I live down the block. I just wanted to welcome you to the neighborhood. I brought you some muffins."

She held up a basket.

"Oh how nice," Deeks said as he accepted it from her. "I'm Justin and we just love muffins around here. Why don't you come on in?"

"Well Justin you just know how to make a girl feel good about herself don't you?" she said happily as she stepped inside.

"I do my best. You got a fella Margie?" Deeks asked.

"I certainly do. Fifty years my Charlie and I have been married. And not a day goes by he doesn't tell me that he loves me."

"Hey! Who was at the door?" Kensi came down the stairs, still toweling off her hair. "Oh, hi. I'm Melissa."

"Is this your wife? Oh look at her she's just gorgeous. Those eyes," Margie said sweetly. "I'm Margie."

"Hi Margie," Kensi tried to put on her sweet house-wife demeanor.

"Margie brought us muffins," Deeks handed her the basket.

"Oh how nice," Kensi replied.

"You two are going to have beautiful children," Margie proclaimed.

Deeks felt Kensi freeze beside him and couldn't stop a smile from spreading across his face. "Why thank you Margie," he said.

"I had five myself. All natural," Margie told them. "It's the only way to go dear. Oh the pain is terrible of course, and there is the matter of tearing, but overall much better for you and the babies."

She looked down. "You have good wide hips. Strong thighs you should be able to birth at least six of seven with no problem."

"Six or…seven? Kensi gulped.

"I'm sure Justin here has at least that many in him, right Justin?" Margie winked at him. "You could do twins the first time easily. You know my Charlie can still—"

"Okay!" Deeks interrupted. "Wow, thank you again Margie. Just so lovely. Give our best to Charlie all right? Bye now!"

Deeks scooted her out the door and closed it soundly. "Wow."

"Did she….did she just call me fat?" Kensi asked, still in shock.

"Six or seven. Wow. That's uh…did she say tearing?" Deeks asked in confusion.

"I don't have big hips do I?" Kensi asked, twisting around to try and see them. "I mean, I work out. A lot."

Deeks looked at her. "This place is weird."

"Yeah, I told you!" Kensi said. She looked down at the basket in her hands. "What do you think is in these muffins?"

"Probably some sort of special fertility herbs," he told her.

Kensi instantly dropped the basket. "I'm not eating those."

"As your husband, I fully support that decision."

* * *

A/N: The scene at the end was SUPER fun to write. Hope you enjoyed! Leave your love in the reviews!


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: This chapter was tough. Most of it was easy, but I had a hard time ending it with a nice little cliffhanger for next time. Hopefully it turned out well! Enjoy!

* * *

Kensi spent the rest of the afternoon alternating between research and talking info with Nell on the phone while Deeks moved around the house putting away the rest of their things.

So far other than the general feeling of unease in the neighborhood they had found no solid evidence of foul play. Nell and Eric were coming up empty on their end and Callen and Sam had even less.

"Dinner's ready," Deeks stuck his head into the living room.

Kensi looked up. "You mean the pizza you ordered and had delivered to our shiny, new front door?"

"I didn't see you offering to cook," he replied as they entered the kitchen.

"And aren't you glad?" she asked cheekily.

"A thank you wouldn't be amiss right now," Deeks said as he handed her a plate.

"Thank you," she conceded.

They both put pizza on their plates and sat down at the table. "So," Deeks said, "I thought while we were eating we could talk about the chore chart."

Kensi raised her eyebrows. "Chore chart?"

Deeks swallowed. "Yeah, I divided it up pretty evenly. If we each do a couple of chores a day the house will stay nice and clean."

Kensi snorted. "You're kidding."

He stared at her.

"You're not kidding. You're serious?" she asked. "Deeks, we do not need a chore chart."

"Ha!" It was Deeks' turn to snort. "This from the woman who thinks the shower is always clean because there's soap and water in it all the time."

"I am not doing your stupid chore chart," Kensi ground out.

"People do chores Kensi. I'm going to do them too. It's not like I'm leaving you to do it alone. I made you dinner!"

"You _ordered_ dinner!" Kensi cried.

"Why do you always have to be so difficult?" Deeks cried. "Just once in your life can you please just do what I want?"

"Fine!" Kensi yelled. "Fine! I'll follow your stupid chart, okay?"

"Good!" Deeks took a breath. "Thank you. Was that so hard?"

"Don't push your luck," Kensi growled.

The finished their dinner in stony silence. "I'm going to take the garbage out," Deeks finally said. "The chore chart says it's your night to vacuum."

"Great," Kensi grunted. "Looking forward to it."

"You know it's not that big of a deal," Deeks said. "You could just put on a smile and do it."

"Okay!" Kensi closed the dishwasher a little more forcefully than necessary. "I'm doing it. Isn't that enough?"

"You know what? I need a minute," Deeks grabbed the trash bag from the garbage can and walked out the back door, leaving Kensi alone in the kitchen.

* * *

He shoved the garbage aggressively into the dumpster, and then turned around, gulping in the cool night air. What was wrong with him? Why did he let her get so under his skin? And why did it feel so much like she wanted to be there?

He rested his head against the side of the house. He had to get it under control. In order for their ruse to work they needed everyone to believe they were happy newlyweds; not a young couple on the brink of divorce.

"The missus giving you trouble?"

Deeks looked up to see a man standing one yard over, his tiny dog on a leash next to him.

"Oh no, we're fine. Just taking the garbage out." Deeks patted the dumpster for emphasis.

"Please," the man scoffed. "I know a man hiding from a spat when I see one. Who's right? You or her?"

"Really, we're fine," Deeks told him.

"It's you isn't it?" the man asked. "Of course it is. She's flying off the handle right? Little high strung?"

"A little?" Deeks laughed.

"I knew it. The best ones always are though. That's why she has you. To help keep her head on straight. She might fight you off, but in the end she needs you and she knows it. Just too proud to admit it."

His dog finished its business and the man shook his head. "You just go back in there and tell her you love her. It'll all work out. Night."

And with that he was back inside his own dwelling leaving Deeks more confused than when he'd first come outside.  
Deeks ran a hand through his hair before turning and slowly walking back into the house.

Kensi was curled up on the couch, her laptop open in front of her. "Hey," she said quietly.

"Hey," he replied.

He looked down at the carpet and saw lines that appeared to belong to the vacuum cleaner. He followed the trail to a rolling chair sitting next to the computer desk. He sighed. "You ran the chair over the carpet instead of vacuuming didn't you?"

Kensi shifted uncomfortably on the couch. "Yes."

Deeks nodded. "Okay then."

He turned and walked out of the room.

* * *

Kensi watched him go and felt a twinge of guilt. She wasn't sure what her problem was, why she couldn't seem to make this work. She sighed.

She had to get it under control. It wasn't fair to Deeks to treat him this way, even if all she wanted right now was to be at home in her own space. Alone.

But that wasn't going to happen anytime soon so she needed to suck it up and deal.

She took a breath and walked back to the kitchen where Deeks was washing dishes. "Deeks?"

He didn't answer.

"I just wanted….I'll do the vacuuming."

"Kinda over it Kens," he told her, not looking in her direction.

"I told you, I'm not good at this."

He turned off the water and dried his hands on a towel. "Are you really not good at it?" He made direct eye contact. "Because it feels more like you're not really trying."

She gaped at him wordlessly.

He nodded. "That's what I thought. I'm going to bed."

Kensi watched him go and felt her heart sink into her stomach. He was right. She wasn't trying. Not really. She just couldn't figure out why.

* * *

A/N: Leave your love in the reviews!


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: So I have agonized over this chapter for far too long and it's time to just put it out there and let it be. This is the final one for this story so I hope you like it! Enjoy!

* * *

Kensi wrestled with her feelings for another twenty minutes resolving once again to _make this op work_. At last, exhausted by her inner turmoil, she headed upstairs. Deeks was in the closet when she arrived in the master suite.

"I'll take the couch in the living room," he said as she walked through the door.

"No," Kensi said quickly. "Someone could be watching the house. We should…we should stay together up here."

Deeks watched her quietly for a moment before nodding. "Okay."

"Okay," she echoed. "I'll uh, I'll just be in the bathroom then."

"Okay. I'll be here."

Kensi entered the master bath and stared at herself in the mirror. "Get a grip Blye," she growled.

Maybe this was why she hadn't been able to play nice with her partner; this moment that she'd known was coming all day. It wasn't like she hadn't spent the night with a man before. It was just…this was Deeks. Her partner. She didn't even let him drive her car for crying out loud.

Kensi shook her head and got to work. As she pulled on her pajamas she found herself wishing that she'd brought something that covered a little more of her body. The silky shorts and top weren't particularly revealing but they still showed off more than Deeks ever needed to see. They were all she'd had in her go bag, overnight ops generally being of a more…sensitive nature than the one she was currently on.

She brushed her teeth and then stepped out of the bathroom, steeling herself for Deeks' comments about her choice of sleepwear. Instead she stopped short. Her partner was sitting on the right side of the bed, reading a book.

"Really?" Kensi asked.

He looked up. "What?"

"You know I sleep on the right side of the bed." She put her hands on her hips.

"How would I know that?" he asked incredulously.

"I have told you that like a million times!" she replied.

"Oh of course. How could I have forgotten our daily conversations about your sleeping habits?" Deeks retorted.

"Deeks come on!"

"No! You have gotten your way all night. Now I want mine."

"Are you seriously pouting right now?"

"No," Deeks said. "I was here first."

"Please Baby?" Kensi asked, batting her eyelashes.

"Oh, really? I've put up with grumpy Kensi all day and now sexy Kensi comes out?" he groaned.

Kensi sauntered toward the bed. "Please? I promise I'll vacuum for real tomorrow."

"I am not falling for this."

Kensi rolled her eyes and shoved him. "Move over!"

She crawled onto the bed as he groaned and shifted to the left side. "Don't think I'm doing this for you. I like the left side of the bed," he told her as she pulled the covers over her legs. "It's my preferred nighttime location."

He pulled the blankets away from her, bunching them up on his side of the bed.

"Hey!" she cried. "What are you doing?"

"Helping myself to the covers," he told her. "I suspect you are a cover hog. Therefore I am taking more than my fair share in the anticipation that you will take more than your fair share before the night is over."

"Give them back!" Kensi yanked them toward her but Deeks refused to budge. "Fine!" she hissed. "Be that way."

She turned out off the light and slid down beneath what was left of the sheets. Her foot brushed against his leg and Deeks flinched.

"Ah! Why are your feet so cold?" he cried. "Geez, they're like blocks of ice!"

"Maybe I'm having cold feet about our marriage!" she growled.

"Just keep those things away from me!" he told her.

"Stay on your side of the bed and I will," she retorted.

"Fine."

"Fine."

Deeks pushed the covers off and rose.

"Where are you going?" Kensi asked.

"The bathroom," Deeks said. "Is that okay with you?"

"Yeah, go," she replied.

He rolled his eyes and closed the bathroom door behind him. Kensi yanked all the blankets back to her side of the bed and burrowed beneath them.

Deeks returned a moment later, walking to his side of the bed.

"I hope you used the air freshener," Kensi told him.

"Seriously?" he asked.

"Just saying," she shrugged.

Deeks paused by the bed and reached for the drawstring on his sweatpants.

"What are you doing? WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Kensi cried.

"I sleep in my boxers," he told her.

"Not here you don't!" she replied in horror.

Deeks sighed and let his head drop in frustration. "Fine. Pants it is."

He got back into the bed and Kensi slid as far away from him as possible. "You know what? I think I changed my mind. You should go sleep on the couch," she told him.

Deeks sighed again and stared up at the ceiling. "I'm not sleeping on the couch. I'm already in the bed." He turned off the light.

"Well then I will," Kensi started to slide off the bed.

"Kensi," Deeks reached for her, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"Deeks, let me go," she snapped.

"Kensi, would you just," he grunted as she tried to squirm away. "Just stop. Stop for one second okay?"

She stopped trying to push him off, but her body remained tense.

"Just for a minute, just pretend I am actually your husband. Pretend you're Melissa and I'm Justin and we've just spent the day moving in and now we're going to bed," he told her.

"This, is crazy," she told him. "You are crazy."

"Just…try," he said softly.

* * *

Deeks lay quietly, his partner pressed against his body in a way that would definitely constitute a serious breach of the NCIS code of conduct. He had surprised himself as much as her, and he hoped she couldn't feel his heartbeat pounding in his chest. He'd reacted without thought, just knowing that they couldn't continue the way they had been all day.

He felt Kensi relax, slowly, into his hold; her breathing, rapid at first, and then eventually more steady.

Her body was warm and it fit perfectly in his arms. He tried not to think about it, tried not to feel it too much. This was Kensi. His partner. His friend.

Kensi, who made him laugh, who challenged his wit in a way that no woman ever had. He should be angry, he should fuming at the way she had treated him all day. But instead…beautiful, badass Kensi Blye was making his heart race.

Her bare shoulder peeked out from beneath the blankets and Deeks felt the wild urge to kiss it. He wondered if her skin was as soft as it looked and had to shake himself mentally.

It was completely inappropriate to think about his partner like this. To think about how perfectly she curved into his body. To think about right it felt to have her back pressed against his chest.

The hem of her silky pajama top had moved northward in their struggle and the urge to stroke his thumb over the skin of stomach was nearly overwhelming.

He wished he could tell what his partner was thinking, wished he knew if she welcomed his embrace. Because to him it felt like the piece that had been missing from his life had finally fallen into place. For the first time in years it felt like he could breathe.

"Are you going to let me go?" she finally asked, but her was softer, more uncertain.

He reluctantly loosened his hold and she turned to face him. His hand lingered on her hip but he let it drop when she shifted further away.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly. "I'm not sure I'm cut out to be a wife."

"Well…it's definitely not your strongest ability," he told her.

She rolled her eyes, but a smile touched her lips. "I don't know…I don't know what's wrong with me. I should have vacuumed," she sighed. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay," he told her, slightly stunned by the apology.

"No," she said firmly. "It's not okay. I shouldn't be treating you like this. I'm going to make it work. I'll do better. I'll be Melissa."

Deeks chuckled.

"What?" she frowned. "Why are you laughing?"

"You're just so…Kensi. Always so determined to get it right," he shrugged. "The only thing we have to get right is catching the bad guy. Everything else here is just pretend. Justin and Melissa are only as real as we make them."

Kensi was quiet for a moment. "What would you do?" she asked. "If you were Justin and I was Melissa?"

"Right now?" he asked.

She nodded.

He brushed his hand over her cheek. "I would tell you that I love you. Crazy impulsive, headstrong you," his voice was soft, deep. "And then I would kiss you," he paused, "if we were Justin and Melissa. And then, I would hold you, Melissa, until we fell asleep." He let his hand drop from her face. "But we're just pretending."

"Right," Kensi swallowed, suddenly looking uncertain, "just pretending."

"If you want me to sleep on the couch I will," he told her.

"No," she said quickly. "Justin and Melissa are in love. If someone's watching the house…Justin wouldn't sleep on the couch."

"Okay," he told her. "Then I, Justin, will stay."

"Good." She rolled over, facing away from him. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight," he echoed.

It was terrible having her this close and yet so far away. Deeks closed his eyes and tried to clear his mind of all the feelings the last ten minutes had triggered.

"Deeks?"

His eyes popped back open. "Yeah?"

"Maybe…Justin should keep holding Melissa. Just in case anyone is watching."

Deeks felt his heart skip a beat. "Yeah, sure, of course," he said. "Just in case."

He turned onto his left side and put his arm around her once more. She sighed and snuggled a little closer. "I think I kind of like Melissa," she said softly.

Deeks closed his eyes and breathed in the scent of her, his heart full of something he still couldn't quite identify. "Me too."

* * *

A/N: So...there you go! Just FYI school has started again for me so I won't be publishing as often as I was during the summer. I have written plenty though so there will definitely still be new stuff coming your way, just not as frequently. Perhaps even a little...Neric? GASP. Things for you to look forward to! Leave your final thoughts in the reviews!


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